The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-02-02
NEW RAILROADS.
Suggestion to Which the Northern Paclhc
Might Well Pay Heed.
Montana Wool Grower.

Montana Wool GrowerJ
We understand upon good authority
that the contracts for grading and track
laying across our northern Indian reserva--
tions, have already been let by the Mani
toba road Material and provisions are
now being massed at the end OF the line IN
Dakota, to perform next season the great
est feat yet accomplished by any railroad
in America. The Canadian Pacific in one
season moved 5000, 600 yards of dirt; the
Manitoba proposei to move between Fort
Buford and Butte 100000 of dirt the
coming season. At 15c. per yard this
grading will cost over $l,O0O,O6O; and
track LAYING and bridge building may
bring the sum up to 81 500 900. Right of
way, station and tank building. aud all
other equipments and rolling stock, will
nearly double this sum-that is, make 1t
$4,000, 600. This figure would bring the
cost Of this six hundred miles OF road
equipped to the very large figure OF $780,
600 per mile Where is Col. Broadwater
going to have the Manitoba put that $S,-
900?
If other roads do some heavy work in
the territory the coming season, they may
swell this $3,o00,OOO to $4,000, 600.
Where is our worthy governor going to
= have that ten million dollars of railroad
money expended in the territory the COM
ing seasonF But then, to these gentlemen
who live alongside of the Red Mountain
and Drum LummOn, statement Within
t five or six million dollars of the truth may
be considered accurate. Do any OF us re-
: alize with any degree of accuracy what is
meant by $4,000, 900?
Undoubtedly the Manitoba manage
Z ment contemplate a trans-coninentai line,
J, to which the road from Assinaboine is TO
y be feeder. The main line will continue
up the Marias river, perhaps through the
Marias gap and the rich mineral kootenia
G country to the Pacific. This will give the
! shortest trans-continental line, the line of
+ lowest altitude, and line the heaviest
grades of which will be less than ne-haIf
: as steep as the heaviest grades of the
1t is said that the original survey of the
T: Northern Pacific was made up the 4el-
|. lowstone, because the Indians were so hos
tile along the Missouri route. Whatever
the cause may have been, it was terrible
. mistaAe for that road to make. The Man
itoba road will reach Helena via BufOrd
: altitude less than 1000 feet, aud Fort Ben
ton altitude $500 feet; while the North
8 ern climbs to 5000 feet at Billings, 4,0sC
- feet at Livingston, and 800 feet at Boze-
man tunnel. The former will have ne
: where a grade to exceed fifty feet to the
mile, while the latter road has nearly three
times that grade in places The Manitoba
= will lay down freight at it's town of Great
Falls for less than the Northern Pacific
can at Helena. In fact, it will not have
to climb SO high, go so far, nor expend sc
: much fuel ia laying freight down upor
:. the west side of the main range, as does
: the Northern Pacific to lay it down ia the
:, capital city.
- If the Northern Pacific wants a share o.
the business of Northern Montana, anG
expects to be able to anywhere near hole
- down the Manitoba in the matter of Pa.
cific coast business, it has but one saliva
tion-correct as nearly as possible the er-
ror of the first location. The main line as
now constructed can be left in eastern
- Montana at an altitude of but little over
% 900 feet. The rich agricultural, stool
and mining country of the Judith valley
- Belt, Moccasin and Judith mountains car
~ be passed tn ough, and the head of navi
CATION of the Missouri crossed at an alt
: tude OF less than 5000 feet; while th'
- loop can be closed in western Montana O
in Idaho by crossing the main range at Al
altitude not SO great as that at the Boze
man tunnel. Such a line only can escape
= those terrible grades, that will rende
competition with the Manitoba impossi
Bile. For the Northern Pacific to suppos
- that the produce of northern Montana cal
- be hauled via Helena and its l2O foo
grades, in competition with a road run
= ming down the Missouri, is like believing
~ that he Manitoba could haul freight Il
. ST. Paul from Helena via Butte, Dee
: Lodge and the Marias pass, in competition
with the Northern Pacific over its presen
: line.
= It can't be done; fuel costs and machin
cry wears out on big grades. Will th
Northern Pacific see the handwriting Oh
the wall? ssThere is tide in the affair
of railroads. = ETC., etc. The influence Of
e rich community is great, and it act
ld quickly; but in time, gentlemen, the law
oe of nature will down even the millionaire
of ~~-.-%4~>4.au--
e. severe Storms at Helena.
ne
tcx. +ot ts,a prasG